Here's To Forever
by GirlsLikeeBoys
Summary: A compilation of oneshot tributes written for KeikoTakishita's "The Beginning of Forever" and "Here's To The Night". Contains OCs and characters from Digimon Frontier. A bunch of different pairings. Non of the stories are in the same universe. Review!
1. Flowers

**A/N: Alright, this is for my very best friend and beta, Natalie, A.K.A. KeikoTakishita. She is the author of Digimon Frontier Refreshed and The Begining Of Forever, which together make up a story that would make anyone a fan of Digimon. I myself was not a Digimon fan, but I read her story anyway, and now I can say I am a fan, or at least a fan of the universe with Takuya, Kouji, and company. This one shot revolves around Kouji and the O.C. of the story, Keiko, who I believe is one of the most loved characters in Natalie's fic. I hope everyone likes this tribute to KeikoTakishita's story, and please review.**

* * *

"_Keiko, what's your favorite thing in the whole world?"_

"_I like flowers…"_

"Keiko, slow down!

"You'll have to catch me first, Kouji!"

Keiko stuck her tongue out at the raven headed boy who was running after her. Her Sunday dress was floating behind her, and her stockings were getting torn by the little straw plants and wild flowers in the humongous, beautifully colored field. The two had just tried going to church for the first time, just for the hell of it. Keiko felt enlightened by the experience, but Kouji was not so eager to be convinced. He didn't want to just jump on the whole Christianity bandwagon without learning about it more first.

Kouji was on Keiko's tail now, squinting his eyes because of the golden sun that was shining that day. The sky was so blue it was indescribable, and the clouds resembled fluffy white cotton balls. Kouji gave up on trying to keep his church slacks clean in order to pick up his pace. In fact, he kicked off his loafers so that he could sprint faster after Keiko.

Keiko's brown hair was glistening in the burning sunlight. She seemed to be glowing like a heavenly angel. Kouji finally caught the girl, tackling her to the ground. They were engulfed by the flowers as they hit the soft field floor. Kouji was on top of her, pinning her down while she tried to escape. The poor girl gave up resisting being held down, and couldn't stop laughing.

"You're such a grump! Why can't you ever enjoy the moment?" Keiko asked, giggles lacing her words. Kouji rolled his eyes.

"Because," he began, his eyes narrowing. "I don't like you just randomly running off on me."

Keiko shifted in the flowers a bit. A ladybug landed on Kouji's nose. The brunette burst out laughing again. Kouji crossed his eyes and noticed the bug on his nose. He immediately started swatting at it in a panic. Kouji didn't like bugs.

"Kouji, stop! It's just a ladybug."

"Well I don't want it on me," the boy grumbled. Keiko frowned.

"You are _such_ a drag today," she said in a confronting tone.

Kouji sighed and smiled lightly. "I'm sorry. I guess the church thing is still setting in. I can't believe you convinced me to go," he said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. The girl smiled with her teeth, which shone in the light.

"It's just something new, y'know? And besides, maybe it can help you. I'm not forcing it on you or anything, though," she said reassuringly.

"I know," Kouji said, nodding. He took a deep breath and got off of Keiko, taking a place next to her on his back.

Kouji had been through a lot in the past three years. He had become addicted to partying and hookups, and took his drinking way overboard. All his friends tried to tell him that he was out of control, but it took him a while to decide that _he_ wanted to change his life around. He and Keiko were seventeen now, and Kouji was living life as a healthy person, but still had his grumpy side.

"Keiko, can I tell you something?"

"Hn?" The brunette now had her eyes closed, soaking in the glorious rays of heaven.

"Well, when I always think of a person, I associate them with an object or scent." He smiled to himself shyly. "Like with Takuya, its pizza, and with Izumi, it's some expensive smelling perfume. But with you, its straight up… Flowers…" He turned his head to the side to look into her aquamarine eyes. The girl smiled, and placed a hand on Kouji's cheek.

"Really?"

"Really." Kouji scooted closer to the brunette, and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I love you," Keiko whispered, feeling a daisy tickle her cheek.

"It never gets old to hear that, Kei," Kouji replied, and lightly pressed his lips to his lover's. She responded shyly, moving her lips smoothly against his.

They had dating for about a year now, after Kouji's taste in women started to change. He went from boners for blonde bombshells, to his heart racing for petite, natural looking girls. Keiko had broken up with her boyfriend Tamotsu about a year and a half prior, and shortly after realized who she wanted _even more_ than the athletic blonde. She wanted good old cold hearted Kouji, who really wasn't cold hearted at all.

Keiko reached behind her boyfriend's head and slyly took the hair tie out of his raven locks. His silky hair fell out of his usual ponytail, cascading over his shoulders. Kouji pulled his lips away from Keiko's.

"Why," he began with a smirk, "must you _always_ take my hair down when we're having a moment?"

"Because, Kouji, you… You look like…and angel or something with your hair down. You look so… natural," Keiko whispered.

"That sounds so fruity," Kouji said with a laugh. Keiko pouted her lips.

"I'm just kidding. For you, I'll leave my hair down," Kouji said in a compromising tone. The aquamarine eyed girl smiled and ran her hands through his hair. She closed her eyes again and breathed in the flowers.

It was absolutely perfect, lying there with no one else around. The light breeze tossed the couples' hair around lightly. Kouji found Keiko's lips again, and began kissing her, more passionately this time around. Dandelions were being carried by the breeze, and seemed to fly with the butterflies through the field. Keiko wrapped her arms around Kouji's neck and pulled herself closer to him. He brought his hands to her shoulders, and slowly ran them down her sides, stopping at her waist. Keiko's cheeks reddened a bit as he wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his hands on her butt. Kouji pulled away a millimeter.

"You," he said, pecking her briefly on the lips, "still," another peck, "get flustered," one more slightly longer kiss, "when I touch you anywhere below the waist."

Keiko looked down, blushing.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

Kouji ran his hands down the back of her legs, down to the hem of her dress. Keiko's cheeks turned scarlet as his hands began traveling up her legs, under her dress. He began fingering one of the holes in her stockings that was on the upper thigh.

"Stop teasing me, Kouji," Keiko said sternly. Kouji smirked and began kissing her again, more aggressively than the time before. She matched his level of aggression pulling him on top of her. His hands left her legs and came up to her chest where she had a sweater covering her yellow sundress. He unbuttoned it and opened it up, revealing her soft skin. She shrugged it off without her lips leaving his. He began kissing down her body, resting at the nape of her neck a nibbling it a little. The brunette giggled. He drew back and looked into her eyes.

"You taste like flowers, Keiko. But in a good way," he said with a laugh. She smiled thoughtfully, but kept staring at his eyes.

"Kouji…" She pressed a palm to his cheek. "This flower field is beautiful… And you are beautiful… This is the kind of place…" She stopped there, remembering that she really was talking out loud.

"This is the kind of place…?" Kouji echoed, waiting for Keiko to finish her sentence.

Keiko fidgeted. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything," she said with a nervous chuckle. Kouji eyed her for a moment.

And then he knew what she was getting at.

He began kissing her again, trailing down to her chest and running his hands down her arms. She lightly brushed some pollen off his cheek, then moved her lips to kiss a spot on his face.

"You," he began in a light whisper, "want to lose it here, don't you?"

Keiko stiffened up, feeling more uncomfortable than ever. She tried to avoid Kouji's eyes, but he kept moving her chin so that her face was forced to look at his deep glossy orbs. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

"Do you?" he asked in a serious, yet excited tone. Keiko sighed and nodded shyly.

Kouji's breathing became heavier as he brought his lips to her ear.

"I'd be _glad_ to do you such a pleasure, Miss Takishita," he whispered, blowing cool air into her ear.

Keiko groaned and let out a soft "Okay".

Kouji brought his hands down to the hem of her dress again, and lifted it up slowly, revealing her attractive legs which were still covered with the ripped stockings. As he worked on slipping them down and off of her, Keiko was cutely untying the ravenette's tie.

* * *

Kouji's tie and shirt along with Keiko's stockings, sweater, and panties were in a neat pile on top of some wildflowers, next to the intimate couple. The only sounds were that of birds, the breeze, and the couple's in sync heavy breathing. After a few moments, Keiko let out a strong gasp.

"Do you want me to slow down?" Kouji murmured, kissing the brunette's neck. Keiko looked slightly in pain, but shook her head, indicating for him to go the speed he was at.

"Just don't go too much faster just yet," she said in a breathy voice.

The butterflies were dancing through the field, flying in little circles, looking for mates. The birds were singing lovely songs, setting a sweet mood. Kouji had his shirt off, but his pants were still on for the most part. Keiko's sundress was pulled up above her waist, but still covering her chest. She wiggled her bare toes in the weeds and growth of the field, feeling the earth under her skin.

"Hnnn… Kouji…" Keiko moaned.

"You okay?" he asked, tucking some of her hair away from her face that now had a thin glaze of sweat. Keiko's eyelashes fluttered a bit as she encouraged the boy to go faster. Kouji picked up his pace, and Keiko began to squirm and make more sensual noises.

"I…think something is coming…" she whispered, breathing heavier now. Her back arched off the ground as she let out another moan.

"Hah, you mean cumming?" Kouji joked.

"Hn…"

* * *

The brunette had her orgasm first, and right after that, Kouji began to get into the heat as well.

"Guhh… Kei…" He gripped her thighs, digging his nails into them a bit.

"You alright, baby?" she asked, pulling him into a short kiss. His skin was looking a bit red, but Keiko didn't know whether it was a sunburn or from his excitement.

"Yeah… I'm okay…" He was pulling on Keiko's hips, causing him to go deeper into her. Keiko let out a soft squeak, but let him.

"Sorry I ever said Izumi was hotter than you back in the day…" he groaned, sweat dripping from his forehead. Keiko blushed a bit and frowned.

"Why are you saying this?" she breathed.

"Because." He kissed her so forcefully that their teeth clashed. "You're the hottest, sexiest, cutest, most beautiful and_ perfect_ girl I've ever met." He let out a loud moan that almost sounded painful. "And I love _you_ more than I could've loved anyone else." He gritted his teeth, and pulled out.

* * *

The sun was setting now, and the couple was curled up in each other's arms.

Crickets were chirping, and signs of nightlife were becoming apparent.

"Kouji… That was amazing…" Keiko said, a bit shaky. She had pulled her sweater back on, and Kouji was now wearing his shirt. Kouji kissed her on the forehead and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Anything for you, Aerith," he said with a wink. Keiko stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, shut up Neji."

Kouji tickled her sides, causing the girl to squirm in a fit of giggles. Keiko's eyes were reflecting a bit of orange in her aquamarine eyes. They looked like pools of fire.

* * *

The sun was totally set over the horizon now, and the two decided to get the rest of their clothes and head toward the car.

"Thanks for this wonderful day, Kouji…and thank you for… being my first…" Keiko whispered. Kouji smiled at her and squeezed her hand. The ravenette blushed, feeling a warmth inside his heart that he could not quite explain. The two remained quiet for a while, until they got to the car.

"Hey Kouji?"

"Yeah?"

"If we had a kid, it should be named Steve Staley Minamoto."

Kouji narrowed his eyes, got in the car and locked the door. Keiko was laughing her ass off as Kouji started the engine and began slowly driving the car away.

"Kouji! No wait! I swear, I'm kidding!" the girl said, doubling over in a fit of laughter. Kouji couldn't help but smile and unlocked the door for the Keiko. She got in the car and they drove off, and they would never forget that special day, where they made love in the field.

It truly was the beginning of forever.


	2. Little House

a/n: okay so if you are reading this and are NOT familiar with KeikoTakishita's story "The Begining Of Forever" you probably will not understand this. It includes excerpts and characters from her story. THIS IS A TRIBUTE. So please check out her story if you haven't, and get familiar with what its all about so you understand this piece right here. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this, and I was inspired to write it by the song "Little House" by Amanda Seyfried. I suggest you look up the song and listen to it after the page break so it sets the mood for the story :) anyway, without further ado, here is The Begining Of Forever: Little House

"Takuya, what's your deal?" Izumi shouted, anger evident in her eyes. The two were standing in her foyer, in the heat of an argument.

"I'm telling you, those guys are bad news! You have no idea what they could do to you!" the brunette said, gripping the edge of the side table that was decorated with fake fruits.

"They're my friends! They're nice guys, you don't even know them!" Izumi shrieked.

"I've seen them whoring around with half the girls in school!" Takuya shouted, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Takuya, Kouji did the same exact thing!"

"You know what? I can't even take this. If you go to hang out with them, don't expect me to be around for you anymore!" Takuya shouted at the top of his lungs.

Izumi had started hanging out with a new group of guys about a month before, and Takuya could see that they were bad news. He had seen them dealing drugs, drinking liquor by the glassful at parties, and they were always sleeping around.

"Why are you being so mean?!" she screamed, tears up welling in her eyes.

"Because maybe I care about you, Izumi! Maybe because I actually have feelings for your sorry ass!" Takuya took one of the fake fruits from the basket on the table and threw it to the ground out of anger. Izumi let out a gasp, her eyes becoming larger. Her mouth fell open a bit, but the rest of her body stood totally frozen. Takuya took a breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked at the blonde that was frozen in front of him.

"Izumi…?" he whispered, approaching the girl. She stayed silent, as her hands began to shake a bit. Takuya put his hands on the girl's shoulders, bringing his face close to hers.

"I'm sorry… That wasn't the way that I had wanted to tell you…" he said quietly. She still said nothing. Takuya looked into her startled emerald eyes, stroking her hair softly with his right hand. He grabbed the back of her head lightly, and pulled her closer, until their lips met. As soon as his soft, moist mouth met hers, she awoke from her trance and shoved him away.

"What's wrong?" Takuya asked.

"I'm sorry… I have to go," she choked out, and ran out the door.

* * *

"_I love this place,But it's haunted… without you."_

Izumi sprinted from the door of her house, for three miles, barefoot. She didn't care about the people staring at her as she nearly knocked them over on the sidewalks. She didn't care about the cars that nearly ran her over as she crossed the streets. Her mind was full and her heart was overflowing. She ran under the rays of the setting autumn sun, which colored her blonde hair with red and orange tones.

"_My tired heartIs beating so slow."_

The girl ran all the way to the quiet cemetery, slowing to a jog, then a walk. She listened to the peaceful sounds of the wind, and the crunching of fallen leaves beneath her feet. Despite the thousands of graves in the cemetery, she knew where she was going. She knew _exactly_ where.

"_Our hearts sing less,Than we wanted,We wanted"_

_"Izumi?"_

_"Ah, sorry," Izumi muttered. "I was just zoning out."_

_"'S alright," he replied, wrapping his arm around her as he handed her the cotton candy. The two began heading back to the hill where their friends were. "What were you thinking about?"_

_Izumi stared at the sidewalk as they walked past the lit up stands. "Um…"_

_He tilted his head to the side before he smirked devilishly. "Was it dirty?"_

_Izumi laughed and pushed him playfully. "No!" She smiled up at him. "I was just thinking about you. And how perfect you are."_

_"I'm far from it," He murmured before pecking her lightly on the lips. "But thank you."_

_There was a loud boom, and an 'ooh' from the crowd. "They're starting…" Izumi said, although she wasn't very anxious to get back to where the others were._

_"Yeah…"_

_The two of them paused, staring at the sky as fireworks lit it up. As a red one lit it up, Izumi wrapped her arms tightly around the brunette, burying her face in his yukata._

_"Asashi..."_

_She felt one of his strong arms wind around her back. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. He smelled like chocolate and something else she couldn't quite detect. Something that was just so Asashi._

_"Asashi," she mumbled again, looking back up at him. "I love you."_

_The brunette smiled and bent slightly to press a kiss to her lips. He pulled away only slightly, their lips still connected. "Love you too."_

"_Our hearts sing 'causeWe do not know,we do not know."_

Izumi stood at the foot of his grave, tears now streaming down her face, running her pretty makeup job. It had been many months since her first love past away, and sometimes she was able to push it to the back of her mind. But after what had happened with Takuya, it was seizing all of the attention in her mind. She felt like her heart was pouring out a river of emotions. Despair, love, yearning, regret; they were all there.

"_To light the nightTo help us grow,To help us is not saidI always know."_

Tear drops wetted the amber, scarlet, and mustard colored leaves that lie beneath her feet. She approached the tombstone and crouched down in front of it, running her fingers over the words. She couldn't even read them, due to her blurred vision.

"_You can catch meDon't you run,Don't you run."_

_They (being the ten, now nine, people in their group of friends) all began to head back, but Keiko paused when she noticed Tamotsu wasn't there. Michiko stopped as well, turning her head and blinking back tears._

_The blonde was just standing there, allowing himself to get soaked by the rain. He was staring at the hole in the ground where his best friend was, and he was shaking slightly. Suddenly, he pressed both of his hands to his face, taking in a shaky breath. And then he was sobbing, trying his hardest to hold back the tears that he hadn't shed at all throughout this hell._

**

* * *

**

"_If you live another day,In this happy little house,The fire's here to stay."_

Izumi allowed herself to let out a loud, dreadful sob. Tamotsu had said a last goodbye to Asashi. Tamotsu had _allowed_ himself to cry at the grave. Izumi remembered how much she had wanted to leave the sight were her lover was buried in the ground. She remembered how _painful_ it was to watch the casket get lowered into the ground. She had not returned to the grave since, because of the sick feeling she had gotten when she could actually read the proof of Asashi's nonexistence.

"_To light the night,To help us grow."_

_Izumi felt like she was burning inside. Her heart was pounding, and everything looked blurry around the edges. The look on Asashi's face made her want to kiss the life out of him, but she was frozen in place. Finally, she got her lips to move. "Okay…"_

_Asashi pulled out slowly, then he moved back in, making a choked gasp as he did so. "It's so tight," he muttered. "A-And…"_

_Slowly, the pain went away to a dull ache, and the discomfort of being filled so intimately receded as well. And it was actually beginning to feel good. Really good._

_Izumi began to arch up into his thrusts, holding his shoulders and mewling. She felt like she was coming in and out of consciousness, and that every little move sent a huge jolt of sensation through her body, from her toes to the tips of her fingers. And with every sound she made, he made an answering groan._

_At that point, Izumi just watched his face, her green eyes wide. Asashi was gritting his teeth, and his hands were clenched in the sheets while his hips pumped back and forth. Heavy pants were falling from his lips, filling the room. He opened his eyes and looked at her, a desperate sort of look on his face. "I love you," he said._

_Izumi cried out and arched up, gripping his arms as she reached the pinnacle of ecstasy. Asashi groaned as her walls tightened around him, and he dropped his perspiring forehead into her neck. With two or three more weak thrusts, he came as well, letting out a short sob of pleasure as he twitched inside._

_There was silence for a moment, the only sound being their panting breaths. Asashi slowly dropped onto Izumi, the strength completely gone in his arms. The blonde wrapped her arms around him, pressing a kiss onto his lips._

_"That was…" Izumi trailed off._

_Asashi turned his head. "Amazing?"_

_Izumi smiled tiredly, nodding. "Yeah. Amazing."_

_The teen turned his face back into her neck. "Good."_

"_To help us is not said,I always know."_

Izumi was crying harder now, remembering Asashi's face when he had given himself to her, and taken her for himself. She collapsed from her squat onto her knees, crunching the leaves beneath her. The wind lightly tossed her hair about; but not in a violent way. It was more of a friendly 'hello'.

"_Please don't make a fuss,It won't go away."_

"Izumi."

Izumi turned, her heart picking up speed. Was it Asashi? Risen from the dead? She shielded her eyes from the blinding orange sun, and saw a brunette standing not far behind her. She got to her feet.

"Asashi?" she whispered, squinting through the sun's rays. The figure moved closer until its head was blocking the sun.

"No… I wish I could say I was," Takuya said in an apologetic tone. He was dressed in his coat and scarf, which reminded Izumi how chilly it was out.

"_The wonder of it all,The wonder that I made."_

"Izumi… Come here… you must be freezing," Takuya said, almost in a brotherly manner. Izumi's face crumbled again as she sunk to her knees, engulfed with sobs. Takuya approached her hesitantly, taking the scarf from around his neck and tying it around hers. He removed his coat and placed it on her shoulders.

"_I am here to stay."_

Takuya then put his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She went willingly, allowing herself to be held by someone she loved. Takuya stroked her hair as she let all of her sorrow out on his sweater. He gulped, trying to keep his own tears in.

"_I am here to stay"_

"It's okay, Izumi… It's okay to cry about it…" Takuya whispered in her ear. She hiccupped, burying her face deeper into his sweater.

"I'm here for you. I'm here to stay," he said, pulling her over to the grave. The two curled up next to the cold stone, until it was warmed by their body heat.

_"Stay."_

* * *

* * *

* * *

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	3. Sand Crabs

**A/N: I got inspired to do this on my beach vacation to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I hope you all like it :) It's a shorter piece, but I think it's one of my better ones. So, I don't really have much more to say, but enjoy!**

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Keiko turned around to see a little blonde girl of about the age of six, staring at her with a light smile. She was wearing a one piece polka dot bathing suit, and shyly digging her toes in the sand.

"I'm looking for sand crabs," The brunette replied, looking back down to her digging hands. She now had a pretty deep hole that she had dug by hand; well, that is until the ocean washed over it and filled the hole in. Keiko tensed up as the brisk water made contact with her warm skin.

"Can I help you?" The girl asked energetically.

"Um, sure," Keiko said with a smile. The little blonde girl plopped down beside her and helped the brunette begin to dig a new hole.

"Who are you here with?" The little girl asked. 'Here' being a beautiful beach in Okinawa.

"My boyfriend and my brothers." Keiko tucked a piece of sandy hair behind her ear. She was never great with kids.

"Well, where are they? Why are you all alone?" The girl asked. Keiko turned and pointed to a pale raven haired boy who was sitting under the shade of an umbrella, sunglasses covering his eyes.

"That's my boyfriend. He doesn't like the sun during this part of the day. It's too strong for him," Keiko stopped to think that it must be around one in the afternoon, "My brothers are back at our hotel. They're coming later." Keiko let out a sigh. She had wished Kouji and her brothers would spend more time with her on this vacation, but so far, they were all off doing their own thing. Keiko, caught by surprise, twitched when she realized she had caught a sand crab in her hand.

"You caught one!" The blonde girl looked at her with shining blue eyes.

"Yeah…. Ugh, do you want to hold it?" Keiko asked, trying her best to be as friendly as possible to the little girl.

"Yeah!" The blonde cupped her hands, welcoming the sand crab onto her sandy palms. Keiko passed on the crab, then looked back at Kouji, who looked to be asleep under the umbrella.

"Wow! My brothers would love to see this!" The girl exclaimed.

"You have brothers too?" Keiko asked, not thinking much of it.

"Yeah, I have three! They told me they'd be right back, and not to go in the water." The little girl poked at the sand crab, giggling.

Keiko furrowed her brow and pondered what the girl had said. She had three brothers? And they seemed to be taking on a parental position in this girl's life… unless they were just babysitting her while their parents had alone time.

"Where are your parents?" Keiko asked, not really realizing she said it out loud until she got an answer.

"They're dead," The girl said calmly as she shifted the crab into her left hand. She then dug her free hand deep into the hole.

Keiko furrowed her brow. Something was wrong. Was this déjà vu or something? She felt like something was extremely off about this picture.

"I'm so sorry to here about that," Keiko murmured, not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay, it happened a long time ago. They died along with my sister."

Keiko had to turn away from the girl and look out at the ocean. All of a sudden, she had a splitting headache. She held her head while the blonde girl drew something in the sand.

"Wow… I really am sorry," Keiko grunted as everything began spinning.

"Do you want to know what her name was?" The girl asked innocently, as she continued writing in the sand with her pointer finger. Keiko didn't say anything. She covered her mouth, stifling a painful gasp.

"Her name was Keiko."

Keiko's eyes shot open. She whipped her head around to look at the girl, only to find she wasn't there anymore. She was gone.

And then everything went dark.

* * *

"…ko….eiko!... KEIKO!"

Keiko groaned as she felt herself being shaken. She forced herself to open her eyes, only to be burned by the sun. She was on her back in the sand, with Kouji hovering over her.

"Thank God, Keiko, you're awake!" Kouji gathered the brunette up in his arms and hugged her.

"What… happened?" Keiko asked, realizing how much her throat and sinuses burned.

"A huge wave crashed on top of you! I watched it with my own eyes. I had to jump in there and save you! God, what were you thinking?" Kouji was really worried. Keiko rarely ever saw him like this.

"There was this girl..." Keiko paused pressing a palm to her head, "Or… was it a dream?"

Kouji shook his head out of confusion, then pressed a light kiss to the babbling girl's forehead.

"I didn't see a girl. You were sitting there alone."

Keiko coughed weakly. "She had to be real…"

"Come on Keiko, let's go back to the hotel and get you washed up. Maybe you're suffering from too much sun." Kouji picked to petite brunette up in his arms and got to his feet. As he began to walk away, Keiko spotted something in the sand next to the hole she had been digging.

It was a name. In big clear letters it read:

"AYAME".


	4. The Gazebo

**A/N: Hey guys, just a little short for 'ya! My computer is still broken, and I don't want to try to do any long term chapters on my mom's. But anyways, this little one shot is about Kouji, so I hope you all like it. He's adorable ****I'm really sorry you all haven't heard from me in a while, but school has just been busy and it's actually homecoming weekend! Tonight is the dance :D Okay, enough of me ranting. Tell me how you like this shit.**

I felt the soda from the can I dropped soak up the bottom of my jeans, but I just ignored it. I couldn't stop staring at the heart burning scene in front of me.

Takuya was kissing her. Not just like a little friendship peck; but really kissing her. He was kissing Izumi.

I wanted to run over and smash his head into a wall; or better yet smash his head into my fist, but I thought better of it. What would it really do? It wouldn't make her love me.

You could say I've loved Orimoto Izumi for four years. Yeah, I've had other crushes along the way, but Izumi was the one that always stuck. Everything about her…just made me feel so alive. So different from every other girl I ever laid eyes on. I never really asked for this to happen, but it did. And now I was watching my best friend kissing her, which made me want to puke up all the sushi I had eaten for dinner.

Keiko's family had invited us all to go to the hot springs with them for three days. Of course we all complied. So, Tamotsu, Takuya and I were assigned to a room, Kouji and Junpei were assigned to one, and Michiko, Keiko, Izumi, and Atsuko all stayed together. Tomoki didn't come because he hates us now, and I think I'm the only one who can really relate to the pain he's feeling. It hurts to see someone who's supposed to be your friend with the girl you love.

But unlike Tomoki, I stay in this group of friends and endure the pain. Because I know Takuya and Izumi would both be really upset if I reacted the way Tomoki was.

So, there they were, kissing in the secret gazebo in the middle of the night. I had gone out to get a can of soda from the machine when I stumbled upon them. Honestly, I'm not as surprised as I thought I would be, despite all my hurt. I guess all along I kind of knew she loved Takuya, but I guess I just pushed the thought into the back of my head. I always thought I could change her mind somehow… But by the looks of things, she had made up her mind.

The setting was absolutely perfect, so I couldn't help but feel a little happy for them. It was a nice seventy degrees, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The stars were twinkling like fireflies, and the moon was full and beautiful. I wonder if Takuya planned this. He was always quite romantic. One time, when we were drunk… never mind.

They stopped kissing, but Izumi got up and sat on Takuya's lap. He embraced her, and I could tell how much she meant to him by the look in his eyes. He probably loved her just as much as I did. I mean, she's nice, funny, sweet, concerning, beautiful…

"Kouji, what are you doing?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned around to see Keiko standing by the vending machine.

"Uh, nothing. Just getting some fresh air."

"Yeah right, what are you looking at?" She walked over next to me, and then her facial expression changed from one of suspicion to one of surprise.

"Woah."

"Yeah, I know."

She looked at me with concerned eyes, "Why are you doing to this to yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

"Watching them together probably hurts you, doesn't it?" She placed a soft hand on my shoulder blade.

"Yeah, but I can't stop. I don't know why."

"Kouji," Keiko turned me around so I was facing her.

"What, Keiko?"

"You're a really good person. Just because Izumi is with Takuya right now doesn't mean she doesn't feel anything for you."

I smiled at her words. "Keiko, there's no chance. They're in love. I can tell. And I'm pretty sure you can too, you're just trying to make me feel better."

"Well, I just hate to see you crying like this," she said looking sad.

It was at that moment I realized that I was crying. I brought my fingers to my cheeks and touched the wet tears, feeling their warmth.

Keiko then put her arms around me, and that's when I decided I should let it all out. I clutched her nightgown, letting out a few sobs that I knew I'd regret later. I didn't usually cry, and when I did, it was for the most part in front of my brother.

"Kouji, it's okay. Please don't cry," She whispered. And that only made me cry harder. It felt good to get it out, since I had this bottled up for so long.

After a few minutes I pulled myself together. I felt tired as hell and just wanted to sleep, but I didn't want to go back to the guys' room with red eyes and tears on my shirt.

"I'll ask Junpei if he'll switch with you for tonight, if you want. So you can be with Kouichi," Keiko whispered, rubbing my back. I glanced over at Takuya and Izumi, who had resumed kissing.

"Hn. I don't know what I want right now. I think I might just go for a dip in the hot spring."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well if you need anything, you know where my room is," Keiko began to turn and walk toward the door. I hesitated for a moment, not know what to say. Instead I grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you Keiko… You're a really good friend."

"No problem Kouji. Goodnight!" She gently pulled away, and headed back into the building. I stood there for a moment, watching her walk back inside, and then I looked up at the stars. Somehow, I knew everything would be okay.


	5. Can You Feel Me Now?

**A/N: Hey guys! This is a response chapter to Here's To the Night chapter 20: It's Alright. Sorry if it's a little abstract, but I tried! This one's for my best friend, KeikoTakishita.**

_Slap._

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to him?" Keiko shouted.

Pain tingled through Takuya's right cheek. He brought his fingers up and touched the burning flesh. They were walking home from school, and had been talking about him and Kouji's most recent conflict.

"Keiko…Why-?"

"I'm sorry Takuya, but someone needs to knock some sense into you!" Keiko looked at the brunette with guilty eyes. She was the last one Takuya would ever imagine slapping him in the face.

"What's wrong? Is he okay? What's going on?"

"Don't you know, Takuya?" Her voice was lighter now, taking on a concerned tone.

"I really don't."

"Well, you need to go talk to him then."

"He won't even look at me, let alone talk to me."

"Takuya!"

"_What,_ Keiko? I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do! I don't even know why he's upset!"

"Because you're so caught up in Miyu, and at the same time Izumi loves you. Kouji loves her, and knows you're only hurting her. You've also been blowing him off for Miyu."

"First of all, I love Izumi too… I'm just trying to figure things out right now. I want to be with her… But Miyu too. I know you guys don't like her, and you don't have too, but I do," Takuya sighed, running a hand through his brown hair, "And as far as ditching Kouji goes, I haven't been. He never invites me to hang out anymore! I've honestly been hanging out with you, Tamotsu, and Izumi more than anyone else. Even Miyu."

Keiko looked down at the ground, not knowing what to say. The autumn wind tossed her hair behind her, along with some orange leaves. Instead of talking, she decided to take Takuya in her arms for a warm hug. She expected him to stiffen up the way Kouji always did, but to her surprise, he melted into her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Keiko, he's my best friend. What do I do?" he whispered so it was almost impossible to hear. She patted the back of his head softly.

"I'm sorry I slapped you…"

Takuya sighed; frustrated that she didn't know the answer.

**

* * *

**

_~He's forgotten about me. ~_

The sun was setting, and it was starting to get cold. Kouji rubbed his hands together and blew into them. The park bench where he sat was lonely.

Kouji hadn't gone home after school. Instead he had wandered around Shibuya for hours, and ended up in his favorite park. He didn't know how he felt. Definitely melancholy, but not mad or anything. He watched some kids playing on the playground, laughing and having the time of their lives. He remembered how that used to be. It was absolutely Heaven back then, before there were things like love, drama, and jealousy. Back then, all that mattered was playing with your friends. No worries in the world.

"He's got it all. A hot girlfriend, friends… fucking Izumi…" he ran a hand through his long raven hair that hung from his head. He put his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands.

"He doesn't need me."

And right as his eyes began to water, he heard someone.

"Now why would you think that?"

Kouji jumped out of surprise. He shyly glanced over his shoulder to see Takuya standing there. He quickly turned around and wiped his eyes. "What do you want?"

Takuya didn't say anything. Instead, he sat down next to Kouji on the bench. Kouji felt awkward when Takuya continued not to say anything. The raven glanced at his friend, to see he was looking straight ahead and smiling.

"Those kids look like they're having fun." Takuya nodded his head in the direction of the playground. Kouji said nothing.

"I miss the Digital World. When we were all there, I mean. It was nice when we were all so close. Just the seven of us."

"Yeah…" Memories of the Digital World flashed through Kouji's mind.

_"We'll make it happen." Takuya said, looking up with a smile. The moment was perfect. We were all on the same wavelength. We knew exactly what needed to be done, and at that moment, all of our troubles were gone, and all that mattered was each other._

_Nothing lasts forever, as the Digimon jumped from our arms, crying and yelping us they ran away. "They're here." Patamon said, anger evident in his small voice._

_"What'll you do?" Salamon asked softly._

_"What?" Takuya asked._

_"Will you fight or will you flee?" Lopmon asked. We could see the Royal Knights flying towards, their armor shining, they were ready to fight._

_Ophanimon's voice rang out. "The game to determine your future has begun." the memorable voice boomed._

_"Yeah, boy have I been in the game." Takuya said. "It became a more serious game when I found out who I really was. Finding out your not just a kid, but a Digimon gave me all kinds of feelings. Feelings of power and responsibility, but most of all if gave me the feeling that what I did really could affect things. At first it was kind of fun, it was really exciting to be exploring the Digital World, discovering the Forest Terminal; it was like a big puzzle, trying to decide which way to go. But as we made our way through the dark continent, and to the Rose Morning Star, we experienced more challenges. As I look back on our quest, I realize we have shared so many adventures; many of my memories are bittersweet, and some are downright painful. Seeing so many creatures that were getting destroyed changed the way I think about evil. Evil can confuse you when you're staring it in the face. You'd hope the face of evil could change itself, but it won't unless you force it to change. As much as evil has tried to get the best of us, we have never stopped trying. Many times we've had chances to leave the Digital World, we could've gone back to our safe warm homes and our loving families, but we always chose to stay. To try to change things, because evil in all it's forms must be stopped. We've always tried to stop evil from running wild. I've faced this decision before, but I always return to fight for what's right. And as we watched our friends go back to Earth, there was a part of us that wished we were going with them. But there's a reason we're still here. We can make a difference. After all the things we've seen and all that we've been through, we're not about to let evil have the final victory."_

_"They may think we don't have anything left, but we're not finished yet!" I added._

_"You're right! When we combine all of our strength, we can't be beat!" Takuya exclaimed._

_As the Royal Knights walked over to us, we just watched, all feeling the adrenaline pumping, all of us ready._

_"So how 'bout it guys?" Keiko said to Izumi, Junpei, Tomoki and Kouichi. "How about we give these guys a shot at this?"_

_"Right! You can do it you guys!" Izumi cheered, tears rolling down her face._

_And as we raised our D-tectors in the air, I couldn't help but feel like this was the end of the worst._

"Kouji, you okay, man?" Takuya had his armed draped across his friend's shoulder. When Kouji snapped back to reality, he realized he had been full out sobbing.

"Oh, uh , yeah…" Kouji sniffed, wiping his nose. Takuya's speech in the digital world made him seem like he could do anything. Why wasn't he like that now?

"You know what I realized?" Takuya asked the raven.

"Hn?"

"I realized that in the long run, all this doesn't matter," Takuya gestured around him, "This being the drama, the girls, the parties. All that. Yeah, it seems to matter a lot now, but when we're forty five and looking back on this, we'll understand that what really matter, was this," Takuya gestured to himself and Kouji. Kouji couldn't find words. He almost felt like he was choking.

"Our brotherhood matters. Our friends matter. Izumi matters, not because we want so much to be with her, but because she's such a bright light in our lives. Keiko matters, not because she's rich, but because she's our best friend. Kouichi, Junpei, and everyone else. Even Tomoki, who we really need to reach out to and see what's going on with him. People like Miyu, yeah they matter in a different way, but unless we marry those Miyu type people, they'll just be another face we dated when we were fifteen," Takuya patted Kouji on the knee, "I'm really worried about you, Kouji. I want you to _trust_ me and open up. After all we've been through; I'd hate to see you feel like you have no one to talk to."

Kouji's throat was on fire. He kept his eyes glued to the ground; but nodded his head in response. His head was spinning, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

"Talk to me, man." Takuya tightened his arm around Kouji, so the raven's head was now resting on Takuya's broad shoulder. He started shaking, biting his lip, trying to keep it all in.

And then it all came out.


	6. In Loving Memory

**A/N: So it has been quite a while since I've done a one shot for KeikoTakishita, so I thought I'd do one tonight. I really like how it turned out, because the OC's deserve a little time in the spotlight **** So I hope you all enjoy!**

"_Happy birthday, Michiko!"_

"_Thanks Asashi! I can't believe I'm eight years old already!"_

"_What was your birthday wish?"_

_Michiko blushed, looking off to the side. She kicked the woodchips below the swing where she sat, fidgeting uncomfortably. The brunette boy stared at her, cocking his head to the side cutely. _

"_Well, if I tell you it won't come true."_

"_Oh come on! You can tell me anything. We're best friends, so I think your wish wouldn't mind."_

"_Well…"_

"_Asashi! Michiko! There you guys are, I've been looking everywhere. It's time to go. Michiko's dad is waiting in the car," Tamotsu called to them from across the playground. _

_Asashi nodded at the blonde, and then turned back to Michiko._

"_Well, I guess we have to go. You get off easy this time," he said with a wink. Michiko laughed, a tinge of relief and a tinge of disappointment hidden in her giggle._

"Michiko. You're here too?"

The wine haired girl looked up from her spot in front of the grave to meet the eyes of a curious Tamotsu staring back her. The light rain glazed her face with a moist shine, hiding the marks the tears had left.

"O-of course," she paused to clear her throat, "It's his eighteenth birthday today." She glanced down at the bouquet of flowers she had left on the grave, then at the flowers Tamotsu had in his arms.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, concern lacing his words. He could tell there was something off about the girl.

"A few hours."

"Wow… I can never bring myself even to stay an hour. It hurts too much…" Tamotsu took a seat on the ground next to his friend.

"It took me a while to be able to stay this long… For the first year I couldn't even bring myself to come at all," she said softly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I know what you mean… It's so hard because coming here is proof that he's really gone," Tamotsu said, choking on the last word.

"Yeah… But a few years ago I realized that it was important for me to come, especially after everyone stopped talking about him. I didn't want to forget…" she trailed off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes again. Tamotsu put a comforting arm around the girl, allowing her to lean into him.

"You won't forget. It's impossible to forget him," said the blonde, his eyes fixed on the stone in front of him. Michiko began shaking, breaking out into a weep.

"Even after all these years it's still hard to except. There were so many things I wanted to tell him." She gripped at Tamotsu's sweatshirt with her right hand, and wiped her eyes with the other.

Tamotsu chuckled, ruffling his friend's hair. "You loved him, didn't you pumpkin?"

Michiko looked up at him for the first time with bloodshot eyes, and bit her lip hard. She nodded slowly, trying to stifle the sobs that were fighting their way out of her mouth. Tamotsu put both arms around her and pulled the sobbing girl into his lap.

"Why didn't we ever talk about this?" he whispered soothingly, rubbing her back.

"How could we? Especially after he died. No one talked about him after a while. It was too hard to even mention his name."

"Well he loved you, honey. Very much. Even when he was with Izumi."

Michiko smiled through her sobs, gripping the blonde's sweat shirt even tighter.

"How do you know?"

"Because I knew him. We spent our whole childhood fighting over you, and whenever I said something about you that made him jealous or whatever, he'd react a certain way. He'd always make this face…" Tamotsu paused, mimicking the face of his deceased friend. He sucked in his lower lip and slightly puffed out his cheeks, his face turning red. Michiko couldn't help but giggle at her friend.

"Sometimes I'd do it just to piss him off. Like, right before he died. Maybe a week before. Our whole group went out for ice cream, and you were wearing these shorts…" Tamotsu through his head back, beaming, "and I went up to Asashi, got right up in his ear and I said 'Damn, I wonder if they have Michiko flavored ice cream here.' And I swear to God he almost took me down in front of everyone. It was priceless." Tamotsu grinned at the memory, and tightened his arms around the girl in his lap. Michiko's sobs had ceased, and were replaced by a radiant smile.

"You guys are such pigs. I should kill you for saying such a thing," she said with a laugh, nuzzling his shoulder.

"Oh, come on. It was all in good fun."

Michiko sighed, looking back up at the grave stone. "I don't know if I would say I was in love-love with him by the time we were older. Yeah, I had a crush on him, but it was when we were kids that I was infatuated." She blushed, glancing up at the sky. "On my eighth birthday he asked me what I had wished for. I was going to tell him, but then you came and said it was time to leave." Michiko turned and smirked at Tamotsu.

"I was a cock block at the age of eight? Dammit! What was your wish?"

"I wished that I would marry Asashi one day."

Tamotsu smirked, jealousy evident on his face. "I guess I didn't stand a chance up against him."

Michiko laughed, punching him playfully in the arm. "I was eight! And if you must know, by the time I was twelve my feelings had shifted to someone else." Her face grew scarlet.

Tamotsu leaned in, resting his forehead on his friend's, their noses brushing. "Oh really? Who was the lucky man? Please don't say Kouji."

Michiko giggled, closing her eyes and closing the space between them, touching her lips ever so softly to his. They kissed for only a few moments, and then Tamotsu bashfully pulled away, going back to having his forehead pressed to hers. "Why can't we do this more often? Talk about him. Reminisce about the good old times? When you think about it, you and I are the only ones who can keep most of his memories alive. The others didn't know him until the last couple years of his life." He stroked her hair as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Michiko crawled out of the boy's lap and over to the grave, placing her hand on the cold stone. "You're right. I propose that we make this a tradition. Every year on his birthday we should spend the day here and just talk about him, and all the good times the three of us had."

Tamotsu joined her, placing his hand on top of hers. "I'd like that. And I think he would too," he beamed.

"We love you, Asashi," Michiko said, looking up at the sky.

"I hope you're resting easy, man! And look, I finally won!" Tamotsu shouted jokingly, throwing his arm around Michiko's waist and pulling her into him.

"Shut up, pig!" she laughed, shoving him playfully.

Just then, a friendly breeze blew through the area, swirling around the friends and through their hair. A surge of euphoria went through both of them, and they knew that it was a sign.

Asashi was there, and he was happy.


	7. The Dream

"Wake up, sleepy head!"

Kouji groaned, flipping onto his stomach and burying his head in a pillow. He breathed in, held it for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes.

"This pillow smells like girl." He stared at the pillow for a moment, then the bed, and the girl sitting at his feet. "Keiko, what the _fuck_ are you doing in my room?"

Keiko giggled, tickling Kouji's feet. The raven was not amused.

"This is actually my room, son. Good morning!"

Kouji blinked, bringing his hand up to his head. Indeed, it was Keiko's room. And he was there, sleeping in the king sized bed. In boxers.

"What day is it? Why am I here?" Kouji began to worry about what had led him to sleep in Keiko's bed.

"You mean what night is it?" Keiko chuckled, pinching his toe again. Kouji pulled his foot away and sat up.

"No, seriously. Why are you acting so weird? Why the hell am I in your room?"

"Because this," Keiko gestured to herself and the room, "Is a dream."

"A…dream?" Kouji pressed his index and middle fingers to his temple.

"Yep! And I'm here to guide you. We're together in this dream," Keiko blushed, looking at her hands, "You're my boyfriend, Kouji."

Kouji narrowed his eyes, "You're kidding me, right?"

"Hey, do you want guidance through this dream or not?" Keiko huffed, crossing her arms, "I can just leave, you know."

"No, please, can I just wake up now? This is already weird enough," Kouji gripped at his hair, trying not to scream.

"No, you have to stay asleep for an hour."

"Oh, well that's not too bad."

Keiko giggled and crawled up next to the raven, "An hour in the real world equals a day in this world, baby."

Kouji threw the sheets off his body, hopped out of bed, and headed for the door, "There is no fucking way I'm dealing with this, Keiko."

"Wait, you should probably get dressed first."

Kouji stopped, his hand on the knob.

"You don't want to have an embarrassing underwear dream, Kouji."

"Fine."

* * *

"So, what do we do now?" Kouji asked as they descended the stairs of Keiko's house.

"Just treat this like any other day. I'll warn you though, things will seem a little off."

"What do you mean by _that_?" Kouji grunted, glancing at the brunette next to him.

Before she could answer, Kouji was nearly knocked backwards by a tall figure wearing an apron.

"Good morning, my little babies! What would you like to eat? Pancakes? Crème Brule? Lobster Bisque? Anything, you name it!"

Kouji could not believe what he was witnessing. There stood Takishita Keiji in a pink apron, oven mitts on both hands, and a big smile on his face.

"What the _fuck _are you on, Keiji?"

Keiji's expression sank to an exaggerated fucked up version of sad. If that makes sense. Tears welled in his eyes as he fell to his knees, "Kouji, why must you be so damn _cruel_? All I do is cook for you, clean for you, suck you off from time to time…"

Kouji plugged his ears and stared desperately at Keiko, who was snickering demonically, "How do I make him stop?" Kouji shouted.

"Only professional dreamers can make that kind of thing stop. It's pretty much impossible, except for Tamotsu. Because he's perfect."

Kouji rolled his eyes, "Then why don't you date _him_ if he's so perfect?"

"Because it's _your_ dream, doll."

"Damn you're annoying."

"Thank GirlsLikeeBoys and her fucked up dream excuse!"

* * *

"Good morning!"

"The fuck?"

Kouji entered Keiko's kitchen to find Ayaka, dressed in a greasy T-Shirt, suspenders, and oil stained jeans. She had a hint of five o'clock shadow, along with a slicked back pony tail. Naoki sat next to her, completely normal looking. An unfamiliar clean-cut man sat next to him in work clothes, smiling dreamily at Naoki. Next to the man was a blonde girl about Keiko's age, who was also unfamiliar.

"Uh, hi."

"Keiji, get me a beer," Ayaka commanded with a belch.

"Just a second, honey."

"Come sit down, you two!" The blonde girl encouraged. Kouji cautiously took a seat next to her, eyeing Naoki and the unidentified man.

"Did you two have fun last night?" The blonde girl asked, directing the question towards Keiko and Kouji.

"Of course we did. I've never made Kouji orgasm so many times in my life!" Keiko sang.

Kouji gagged, putting his head down on the table.

"Wow, you seem exhausted, Kouji," The blonde girl cooed.

"Yeah. This dream is sucking the life out of me."

"Hehe, like I was last night," Keiko said in perverted tone.

"Who _are_ you?" Kouji groaned, leering at Keiko.

"Where is Saburo?" Naoki asked. It was then that Kouji noticed Naoki had his hand on the man's upper thigh. That's when he realized Aya wasn't there.

"Oh _shit_."

Suddenly, Saburo burst into the room, wearing a lacrosse pinnae and a backwards baseball cap, carrying a tan dark haired girl bridal style. He slammed her on the table, knocking all the condiments onto the ground. As he began working her school skirt off, the other family members went about breakfast as if the scene weren't even happening.

"Ayame, could you pass the salt?" Keiko asked. Kouji's eyes widened when he heard the name.

Ayame smiled, plucking the salt off the ground.

"Sure thing, Keiko."

* * *

"That was really fucked up, Keiko," Kouji said as he and Keiko approached the school.

"That's what dreams are for, baby."

Kouji sighed, and looked around; both hoping and fearing that he would find another one of his friends.

"Hey, there's Asashi and Tamotsu," Keiko said, grabbing Kouji's arm and pointing. There, on one of the benches, Tamotsu and Asashi were making out, shoving their tongues down the other's throat.

"Ah, fuck no."

"Hello, Kouji."

The raven turned around to find Junpei behind him, his arm rapped around Izumi's waist.

"You look swell this morning," said Junpei.

"Swell? Who says _swell_?"

"Don't make fun of my boyfriend, douche bag!" Izumi squealed in the most obnoxious voice.

"Oh, _hell_ no. You guys make Keiko look normal."

"That's what brought us together, honey," Keiko whispered, nuzzling Kouji's neck sweetly. He couldn't help but like it a little bit.

"So, did you bring the weed today?" Junpei asked.

"Weed?" Kouji scratched his head skeptically.

"Yeah, weed. You promised me weed for that Viagra. Now, hand it over before I let Izumi beat your ass."

Kouji turned to Keiko, "Who says this stuff?"

"Republicans."

"Come on, that didn't even make sense. You're supposed to guide me, here."

Keiko giggled, "I'm just messing with you. Just tell them Tomoki wouldn't let you, then Izumi won't break your nose."

Kouji squinted, then shrugged and turned to Junpei and Izumi, "Tomoki wouldn't let me."

Junpei's expression softened. He put his arm around Kouji's shoulder and smiled, "Oh, okay man, don't worry about it. Hey, wanna play ball later on? Izumi and Keiko can be cheerleaders."

Izumi smiled and nodded.

"Umm…?"

"Hey, did anyone wake Kouichi this morning?" Keiko asked.

"Nope. It was Tamotsu's turn," Izumi stated.

"Wake him?" Kouji echoed.

"TAMOTSU! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" Keiko shouted across the schoolyard. The blonde's head perked up, followed by Asashi's. The pair rose from their bench and made their way over to the group.

"Good morning, guys," Tamostu said kindly.

"You were supposed to wake Kouichi this morning," Keiko stated.

"Oh, gosh. Jeez, I'm so sorry guys. I completely forgot. Could you ever forgive me?" Tamotsu whimpered, tears welling in his eyes.

Junpei put his arm around the blonde, who started to cry.

"It's okay, man. No sweat. Hey, don't worry about it. Come play ball with us later on. Keiko, Izumi and Asashi can be cheerleaders."

Asashi smiled bashfully and nodded.

"Oh…okay. Thanks, you guys. You're such great friends.

"No, thank _you_, Tamotsu. For being so damn perfect," Izumi cooed.

"I'll just text Takuya and tell him to go get Kouichi. Ayame has the car today, so it should be no problem," said Keiko, pulling out her phone.

"Ayame and Takuya?" Kouji wondered aloud.

"Yep! What, you didn't think my sister could get some?" Keiko asked.

"This is so strange…"

"Hey guys, we're here!" Called Takuya from the parking lot. He was accompanied by Ayame and a hung over Kouichi.

"That was fast."

"It's a dream. Of course it was fast," said Asashi.

"Fuck you all. Why is my brother hung over?"

"Because he's the biggest party boy tool in the school," said Junpei.

"Fuck no. That's not even okay to dream about. I want to wake up naow. Asap. Please."

"You just have to wait a little while longer, baby. We still need to go see Tomoki later on," Keiko said softly.

"I don't even want to know what's going to happen."

"Aye yo dawgs, what's shakin'?" Takuya asked as he approached the group.

"Seriously?" Kouji asked. No one answered.

"Me n' mah bitch went over and Kouichi was catching Z's on the fly, yo. Y'know what I'm sayin', dawg?" Takuya elbowed Kouji playfully. Kouji looked at Keiko, appalled at what was coming out of his best friend's mouth.

"He had _five_ girls in his bed. Isn't that a new record?" Ayame asked, patting Kouichi thoughtfully on the head.

"Five?" Kouji echoed.

"Yep! Two blondes, a ginger and two brunettes."

"Get it in, Kouichi!" Junpei cheered, shaking Kouichi's shoulder.

"My penis hurts…" Kouichi said so softly Kouji swore he was the only one who heard it.

"Kouichi, I am _so_ sorry I forgot to wake you up this morning," Tamotsu said, his eyes glistening.

"It's okay, Tam-Chan. You're perfect, so it's all cool in my book."

"The hizz shit just said it all!" Takuya threw his hands up in the air.

"What does that even _mean_?" Kouji asked. Again, no one answered. "Is the bell ever going to ring for class to start?"

"Hell no. People don't learn in dreams," Keiko said with a chuckle.

"I just want this dream to be over…"

"Okay, time to go see Tomoki," Izumi announced.

"I'll drive!" Ayame suggested.

"How will we all fit in your car?"

"Don't ask questions, Kouji."

* * *

"You guys, this is the bad part of Tokyo," Kouji announced, as they walked by an alley where a man was getting mugged.

"Obviously, you dumb shit," Izumi growled.

"Fuck you, bitch," Kouji said, not thinking about what he was saying. Before he knew it, Junpei was on top of him, beating the shit out of him. Tamotsu squealed, "OH THE HUMANITY!" Then fell backward dramatically into Asashi's arms.

Meanwhile, as Junpei was beating the shit out of Kouji, Kouichi crept up and grabbed Izumi around the waist, "Voulez vou coucher' avec moi?" He kissed her neck seductively.

"Aww yeeeuh, get it in wid hiz bitch, man. That's how it goes every time!" Takuya exclaimed, now wearing sunglasses that he wasn't wearing five minutes ago.

"Okay, we're here guys. Tomoki is waiting," said Ayame. She opened a door to a sketchy building, and led the group inside. Kouji wiped the blood off his mouth as soon as Junpei was off of him. He grabbed Keiko's hand tight, "Please, never let that happen to me again."

"Then don't call Izumi the B word."

The group entered a room with numerous expensive vases and textiles. Beads were handing from the ceiling, and incense was burning. The room looked like some kind of Tibetan thrown.

Tomoki sat in a big arm chair, Michiko (scantily dressed) resting her head on his lap.

"Good afternoon, Tomoki-Sama," the group said in unison.

"Good afternoon. I hope you are all behaving."

"We are," Keiko said, beaming.

"Good to know. Michiko, can you go get some cocktails for our guests?"

Michiko nodded, suddenly wearing bunny ears and a fluffy tail. She got to her feet and disappeared into a different room.

"He's bangin' her harder than the beginning of the universe!" Takuya shouted.

"Amen to that, friend," Tomoki said.

"I don't understand," Kouji grumbled, burying his head in his hands.

"What is it that you don't understand?" Tomoki asked, taking a puff of a pipe he didn't have moments prior.

"How… you of all people….God…"

"See, friend. Dreams are a reflection of your life. They are often exaggerated, but sometimes they can cause people to open their eyes and realize things about their life that they hadn't before. I know a lot of this that has happened is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but when you wake up, maybe you will be enlightened about a few things. Mozart heard one of his most famous pieces in a dream. Geniuses like Aristotle and Di Vinci learned from their dreams. I'm glad you could come today, friend. I really am." Tomoki took another puff of his pipe. Michiko returned with a tray of drinks.

"Tomoki… I can't say I understand."

"You will someday, comrade. You will."

"Isn't this just lovely?" Keiko asked, resting her head on Kouji's shoulder.

Suddenly, Kouichi was behind Michiko, wrapping an arm around her midsection, "Go to bed with meeee...," he whined, still hungover.

Tomoki erupted in a fit of screams and thrashing.

"GET YOUR DAMN FUCKING HANDS OFF MY WOMAN!"

"Uh-oh. He did it again!" Tamotsu whimpered.

"We better go," Izumi mumbled.

"Shits about to go down, son!" Takuya jumped up and down excitedly.

Fire started emerging from the bowels of Tomoki's body, escaping through his mouth, eye sockets and ears.

"What the _fuck_?" Kouji screeched.

"I'll bring us somewhere safe," Keiko whispered, grabbing ahold of Kouji's hand.

* * *

"Wow, where are we?"

"On my roof watching the sunset," Keiko said with a smile.

"What happened to the others?"

"That part of the dream ended. Now it's just us."

"Wow…" Kouji ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "This is the worst nightmare ever."

Keiko frowned, placing a hand on his knee, "What about this part?"

Kouji smiled sincerely at Keiko, "Thank God for this part. I'm so relieved."

"So, your dream is at fifty seven minutes, Kouji. You can wake up soon."

"Really? I thought it would never end," Kouji slid his hand into Keiko's. The girl beamed at him.

"Don't forget me when you wake up!"

"Forget you? How could I? I see you every day."

Keiko tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "I mean don't forget me as you see me right now. As your lover." She leaned it, carefully placing a kiss to his lips.

"God, the real Keiko would never say something like that," Kouji laughed.

"Just don't forget."

* * *

Kouji woke up in a sweat. When he realized he was awake, he threw his hands up in the air and cheered. He glanced around, making sure he was in his room. He touched his clothes, his bed, then his lips, remembering the last part of the dream vaguely. He got to his feet and headed for the bathroom, as the dream swiftly slipped from his mind.


End file.
